This is part one of a two part story, please review as the second part will be coming soon :)
Peter's POV
In a perfect world, Nathan would not be my brother, therefore, Claire would not be my niece. However there are so many variables that Claire may not even have been born. So I guess, in MY perfect world, the illegality of incest wouldn't apply to me. Ever since Claire turned 18, there's been an itty bitty voice in my brain that keeps telling me that one of the barriers between us has just been struck down. This itty bitty voice in my head has since become a screaming, shrill screech that's pervading my own conscious thoughts. I feel like a damned pervert. I'm almost 10 years older than her (granted, we both don't age anymore because of her ability) and she's my niece. Fuck. You. Nathan... And the legal system...
About a year back, D.L. decided he'd start a business where he could make enough money, is recession proof, and allows us all to just hang out with each other. Weeknights, it's a bar for pathetic old men hiding from their wives who order drink after drink until they stagger out fully intoxicated and empty walleted. Saturday and Sunday nights, however, it's a happy, carefree place where we could all meet and use our powers, out in the open. We have since met several nice women who, I admit, I am now using as a way to vent my problems about Claire. They're the hopeless romantic types (sort of like me I suppose) so they are only more so enamored by our "forbidden love".
"Why don't you just tell her how you feel? No one outside this room even knows you're her uncle, I'm SURE she loves you, too!" One girl swooned and sighed, a hydrokenetic. I shushed her as Claire is only sitting a few feet away. Though she can't get drunk, she'd been drinking vodka like it was water. I feel like a dick, not to mention a terrible uncle. Clearly something was bothering her. I pick her up to go to the bar every weekend, and Suresh takes her home. Usually we talk and laugh and sing out of key to "Firework" on the radio, but tonight she didn't speak a word and just stared out the window, her entire body displaying the fact that she wanted to get away from me. So, when she sat at the bar, I respectively left her alone to go be an emo bitch to get sympathy from these women, instead of trying to help the situation.
"Look, I wish it was that simple... Claire's gonna want a nice college kid, not a 27-year-old nurse who watches old people die for a living..." The woman stting next to me placed a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.
"Don't give up. Even if she doesn't like you right now," she glanced over at Claire and smirked, "win her over! It's totally fool-proof." I smiled crookedly and turned to look at Claire, who quickly looked away when our eyes met, taking another swig of vodka.
"And you'll do it tonight." She added after a few moments of silence from me.
"Thank you," I bowed my head in appreciation and stood to begin my shaky approach towards Claire. When I finally got behind her, I knew she knew I was there, but she said nothing to me.
"Claire?" I asked, almost begged, craving her attention. I heard a sweet sigh escape her lips, and she turned. Now that I was right in front of her, I saw that her eyes were puffy and bloodshot as tears seemed to flow endlessly down her cheeks. I froze, had I caused her this pain? What did I do? Before I could snap myself out of my stupor, she grabbed two enormous vodka bottles by the necks and took off to the back of the bar that was mostly empty, except for Micah.
"Cl-Claire? Claire!" He stopped her before she passed him, pulling her into a hug while she sobbed and ultimately collapsed to the floor next to the vinyl bench. From what I could see, she couldn't form a complete sentence, so she and Micah pulled out their phones to text. If I caused this, what did I do? Fuck, I'm so stupid!
Claire's POV
The drive sucked worse than anything. It didn't really help that Peter completely ignored me when I ignored him. He's always been the kind to confront someone when they have a problem with him, but he didn't say ANYTHING. Guess I just wasn't worth the oxygen. Nevermind what I said earlier. The Bar sucks worse than the drive. Peter was sitting with a group of women, mostly around his age, and they constantly were casting their horrified glances at me. I'm sure he was telling them was a terrible, annoying person I am so they'll feel sympathetic and let him in their pants... Whatever, it won't get to me. As I take another huge sip of my vodka, I laugh to myself. 'I'll never shed a tear for him.' though that probably wasn't true, it's nice to tell oneself that they have strength.
My previous thought shattered when I took the chance to look behind me once again at Peter. One of the girls, an ugly redhead who, quite frankly, looked like a lesbian, put a hand on his shoulder, leaning in close. She said a few words, then glanced at me with the bitchy smirk to end all bitchy smirks. The kind of smirk that says, "He's mine, bitch!" I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, and my eyes didn't just tear up, they were leaking the salty liquid I've come to resemt for displaying my emotions, especially when Peter turned and looked me in the eyes. I turned around, trying with every fiber of my being to stop the tears, but I only cried more, because I knew that he was now standing right behind me. There was no way I could trust my voice to say anything, so I kept my mouth shut.
"Claire?" Though I chose to ignore it, I heard a catch in his throat when he said my name, a hint of desperation. But like I said, I chose to ignore it. Finally, I turned. Just seeing those big brown eyes stare at me in horror, I knew he either thought I was crying for no reasom which would make me crazy, or he just hates me so much looking at my face disgusts him. We used to be so close... I can't hide anymore. But I can certainly run, for now. I grabbed two bottles of vodka each the size of my forearm and took off to the backroom.
"Cl-Claire? Claire!" He shouted after me, but by the time I heard him, Micah already grabbed me by the waist and pulled me away from the bathroom door, hugging me tightly.
"Claire? What happened?" He sat down against the wall with me, I just didn't have the strength to stand right now. I tried desperately to get my voice working, but just ended up sounding like a broken record, the only word coming out clearly was "Peter". Finally, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, and I knew he wanted me to AIM it to him.
1:27 AM
ClaireBear: Its Peter... I know its totally wrong but I cant help it...
Rebel: ur in love w/him, arent u?
ClaireBear: Is it that obvious?
Rebel: to a few of us, yeah. mainly just me, my dad, suresh, nathan, my mom, hiro, ando... okay, so everybody but peter kind of has it figured out. the first to know and tell most of us was matt.
1:28 AM
ClaireBear: Oh right, the whole mind reading thing..
Rebel: i know ur depressed right now, but i have 1 question. y drink the pain away if u cant get drunk?
ClaireBear: Lol, IDK, I guess I thought if I could drink faster than I could heal, maybe I will get drunk, and I can forget for one night I love him.
ClaireBear: Wait, so if everyone knows, y arent they giving me the "incest is bad" spiel? Especially Nathan. And Matt, he's a cop after all.
Rebel: cuz u make peter happy, nd he makes u happy. remember the other day wen u went to suresh for your monthly physical?
ClaireBear: Yeah?
1:29 AM
Rebel: well that wasnt just a physical. hes gonna test the blood sample he took against nathans to c if ur rly his daughter. remember, ur still his illegitimate kid.
ClaireBear: Even if Peter's not my uncle, he's still not gonna want to date a kid. He deserves better than me, and he can definitely do better.
Rebel: think about it. neither of u will ever die. in the end, u only have each other, age isn't a factor n e more. besides, ur already considerred legal.
ClaireBear: Yeah, eternal best friends. That's all he'd want from me is friendship. I'm sorry Micah, but I used to be a hopeful kid like u. I'm not that person anymore.
Rebel: but he loves u!
ClaireBear: I wish I could believe that.
Rebel: if u find out hes not ur uncle, will u at least try?
1:30 AM
ClaireBear: ... Fine. But I doubt he'll return the feelings.
Rebel: itll all be ok claire, i promise. and just so u know, nathan did the math the other day, and the time that he and ur mom had sex compared 2 the time she got pregnant... it didnt add up right. he said there was a 13 week gap.
Rebel has signed off.
I gazed at Micah as he hugged me and got up to go sit with Molly. A 13 week gap... I wouldn't exactly call Nathan a math genius, but 13 weeks is an awful lot of time, enough time for a woman like Meredith to go have, for example, a one night stand. I felt tired. Too tired to get up when Suresh asked me, clearly overwhelmed with concern for me, if I was ready to go. I lied, I said I would just et Peter to take me home in the morning, which is why Suresh takes me home. Peter stays until about 4 AM. He asked me if I was sure, begged me. I just smiled and help up the already empty bottle of booze, smiling and saying I was fine, that I wasnt tired yet. As soon as he walked out of the bar, my head leaned back against the wall, my phone sliding out of my limp hand. The last thing I saw was Peter sitting at the bar with his head in his hands. He looked up at the clock on the wall. He was... Crying? I drifted into unconsciousness, the vodka resting on my stomach.
Peter's POV
I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by what had happened. It happened so fast, it didn't even really hit me until Micah and Claire had finished their text-versation. As Micah passed me to go sit with Molly, he gave me an omniscient stare, telling me with one look that he knew what Claire's situation was, I didn't, it was because of me, and that I love her. Sometimes I hate what a genius Micah is, especially when it comes to Claire. He was like a little brother to her, and clearly he calmed her down, for now she looked lost in a haze, her tears no longer streaming down her sun-kissed cheeks.
Suresh was leaving, and he seemed to be pleading with Claire politely to let him take her home. She lifted the empty vodka bottle and smiled, that tired, sad smile I fell in love with. I realized I would never be able to have her. I started crying, shoving my head in my hands as Suresh passed. Before leaving, he patted my back. I didn't lift my head.
"I'll call you tomorrow. I may have some good news... Stay strong, my friend." I had to force myself not to explode and scream out, "That ship has sailed, Mohinder!" I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself to keep myself from breaking down. I looked up at the clock, wondering what Suresh could be doing at almost two in the morning with news for me. I had barely noticed that my tears had continued to fall shamelessly. I dared to turn my head to look at my love, my niece sitting on the floor. Actually, she was passed out. Her cheeks were pink, and stained by a few stray tears that fell as she slept.
I walked over carefully, the girls I had been talking to earlier were now all turned around in their seats with an excited expressions, like a group of big, perverted Labradors. I smiled reassuringly at them as they made pushing gestures with their hands. I sat on the red vinyl bench next to where Claire sat. Her back was against the wall and her knees were pulled up to her chest, the vodka bottle slipping from her stomach between her legs. I know it's wrong, but I swore 2 years ago that I would protect Claire with my life. But to protect her, I have to know what's wrong.
I picked up her phone, going to the AIM application. When it asked for the password, I drew a blank. I typed up every name in her family, even Mr. Muggles. Hell, I even tried 12345 and "password". I tried Zach, I tried Odessa, Costa Verde, even Meredith and Nathan. A thought came into my head. No... It's impossible...
Username: [ClaireBear]
Password: [*****]
[Sign In]
My thumb hesitated over the "Sign In" button. I touched it.
Welcome, ClaireBear!
My eyes widened, and I felt a lump in my throat. It's prpbably just because no one would think of that. 'You did,' That little voice said in a smug tone. I almost started to cry again as I read the conversation she'd had with Micah. A large grin broke out across my face, very much like the girls' big perverted labrador expression. I make her happy! I make her HAPPY! And she's IN love with me? AND she may not be my niece! I'm floating on Cloud 9. All my dreams are unfolding right before my eyes! I looked at her, her sleeping face looked so peaceful. I noticed when she sleeps, she's a completely different person. She's happy. Maybe, if we could be together... I could catch a real smile from her. A genuine, happy smile.
She stirred lightly, and I pushed a stray hair from her eyes. They slowly opened, her gray-blue eyes catching me staring. I slid my hand into hers and since she made no effort to pull away, I gripped it tighter, smiling at her. I was always self-concious about my crooked smile, but I felt she was okay with it.
"Peter...?" She whispered my name so delicately.
"Come with me." I wasn't asking her, I was telling her. There's no way she could go home to her mom with alcohol on her breath, and I have an empty couch. I picked her up bridal style as she sighed happily, curling her petite body into my chest, her head cradled against my neck. I granted myself the sweet satisfaction of looking at the girls, all of them squealing and laughing whilst rolling in around in their chairs and giving me thumbs up. I smirked, kicking open the door.
"See you tomorrow, take care, Peter." Micah grinned at me mischievously, another omniscient stare. Molly simply waved happily, completely unaware of what her boyfriend had just done. That slick little matchmaker. He WANTED to text her all that, because he knew I'd read it.
"Thanks, Micah."